This invention relates to training wheels for children's bicycles, and, more particularly, to a training wheel assembly which is vertically adjustable to accommodate different sized bicycles and which includes an adjustable torsion brace arm adapted to mount to various frame members at the rear of the bicycle.
Bicycle manufacturers often furnish training wheels on their smaller bicycles for children learning to ride. Due to the differences in design of the chain guard, rear fork and other frame members of bicycles sold by different manufacturers, training wheels designed for one bicycle often do not fit other bicycles. If training wheels are damaged, or removed from the bicycle and misplaced, it is often difficult to find replacement training wheels. It is uneconomical for retail bicycle outlets to stock training wheels for all types of bicycles, and many manufacturers do not sell replacement training wheels.
To overcome the problem, attempts have been made to design a universal training wheel assembly capable of mounting to a variety of bicycle designs. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,305 which includes a bracket having a lower portion adapted to mount a training wheel and an upper portion formed with an elongated slot which receives the rear wheel axle. A torque arm extends perpendicularly from the bracket at the rear axle to the rear fork of the bicycle frame, which helps carry torsion applied to the training wheel assembly. One end portion of the torque arm is formed in a U-shape to receive the upper portion of the bracket. The opposite end of the torque arm is formed with spaced fingers which fit over the rear fork. A similar design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,954, except the bracket and torque arm are formed in one piece, permanently perpendicular to one another.
Although the bicycle training wheel assemblies described above are adapted to mount to several bicycle designs, a problem arises in some bicycles where the rear fork of the bicycle frame is covered by the chain guard. Although the bracket may be mounted to the rear wheel axle, the torque arm extending perpendicularly from the bracket is blocked from the rear fork member by the chain guard in such bicycles. It is unacceptable to simply remove the torque arm in bicycle designs of this type since the bracket alone is not strong enough to resist torsional forces applied to it by the weight of the bicycle and rider, particularly in turns, and can turn and become loosened.